India–Brazil Agreements Likely During Lula Visit, Pharma, Critical Minerals And Aviation In Focus 
New Delhi: Officials are finalising a set of key agreements between India and Brazil ahead of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s official visit to India from February 18 to 22. The proposed pacts are expected to strengthen cooperation in pharmaceuticals, critical minerals and civil aviation, signalling a deepening of strategic and economic ties between the two nations.
According to reports, one of the major areas of focus will be healthcare cooperation. Brazil’s public healthcare system requires large volumes of medicines, and Indian pharmaceutical exporters are seen as well positioned to meet this demand due to their competitive pricing and global manufacturing scale. A memorandum of understanding in the health sector is expected to facilitate smoother regulatory processes and expand trade in essential medicines.
Another significant area under discussion is cooperation in critical minerals. Brazil has vast mineral reserves, and India has been actively looking to diversify its resource supply chains as part of its long-term resource security strategy. An MoU in this sector could open new avenues for investment, exploration and supply chain collaboration, especially at a time when global competition for strategic minerals is intensifying.
Civil aviation is also set to feature prominently during the visit. A new agreement is expected between the Adani Group and Brazilian aerospace major Embraer. Adani Defence & Aerospace and Embraer had recently signed an MoU to establish a manufacturing facility in India for regional transport aircraft. The formalisation of this partnership during the presidential visit would add momentum to India’s push for domestic aerospace manufacturing and technology partnerships.
In addition to trade and industrial cooperation, Brazil is planning to strengthen people-to-people ties. Brazil’s envoy to India, Kenneth H da Nobrega, has indicated that his country is preparing to introduce a 10-year multiple-entry visa system for Indian tourists. Discussions are also underway to ease business visa norms for Indian professionals, reflecting the growing volume of bilateral trade and investment flows.
The visit is expected to further consolidate India–Brazil ties within broader multilateral platforms such as IBSA and the Global South framework, where both countries have increasingly aligned positions on trade reform, supply chain resilience and strategic autonomy.
Our Thoughts
The upcoming visit reflects a maturing India–Brazil partnership that is gradually moving beyond symbolism into concrete economic collaboration. From affordable medicines to critical mineral security and aerospace manufacturing, the agreements under discussion align with both countries’ long-term strategic interests. If implemented effectively, these pacts could strengthen South-South cooperation and reduce dependency on traditional Western supply chains, marking a practical step toward a more diversified global economic order.
